Alexei Britanov
Lieutenant Commander Alexei Anatolievich Britanov (born May 31, 2373, in Narragansett, Rhode Island) is a fictional character created by Joshua Underwood in the Star Trek universe. Alexei is the son of Anatoliy Britanov, and has been portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard since his creation in 2006. Alexei is an adaptation of Underwood's troubled psyche, though for somewhat different reasons. Early Life Born in Narragansett, Rhode Island, Alexei is the only son of Major General Anatoliy Britanov (he was a Colonel at the time) and his wife Tatiana, a descendant of the ancient Romanov dynasty of Russia. At the age of 3, Alexei was besieged alongside his mother and father in the Palais de la Concorde in Paris during Demon-Kieran Devaneaux's invasion of Earth - Anatoliy, then a brigadier general, was commander of the Starfleet Marine Corps defense of the Federation capital, and Tatiana was one of her father-in-law Mikhail Britanov's interns, and she was given special permission to care for the child while she was at work. As he grew up, both Mikhail and Anatoliy told Alexei tales of their experiences, especially the siege of the Palais. After Mikhail became President of the Federation in 2381, Alexei lived in Prague Castle - which was the new residence and office of the President - with his parents and his grandparents until eight years later, when he enrolled in Starfleet Academy. He told his father and grandfather that, despite the family legacy in the Corps, he would be a Starfleet engineer, that he enjoyed building things rather than destroying them. Mikhail and Anatoliy realized that their experience was not like the experience the boy would have, and so were accepting of his choice. Starfleet Alexei graduated Starfleet Academy as an ensign in 2392, and was assigned to the aging Akira-class Bill of Rights, commanded by his cousin, Captain Celest Devaneaux. He served as a junior engineer onboard the Bill of Rights until she was decommissioned in 2395, and the entire crew transferred to the Moonfire - also an Akira - under Celest's command. The Moonfire Accident Alexei was a lieutenant and assistant chief engineer under Lieutenant Commander Jeanette Ross when the Moonfire accident occurred. He was manning the auxiliary control console on the bridge when the impulse engines exploded on April 7, 2402, killing Captain Devaneaux, Chief Engineer Ross and the rest of the ship's engine room company. He was immediately wracked with guilt, and locked himself in his quarters on the rescue ship when the survivors (and the dead) were picked up and the remnants of the Moonfire destroyed. Upon their arrival at Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards on Mars, where his uncle Vasily Britanov was appointed the Inspector General while he waited for a new assignment, Alexei was analyzed by psychiatrists and was discovered to have a paranoid fear of space travel - fear that the engines would explode at any moment, just like on the Moonfire. Thus, it was suggested that he not partake of any space travel. He was assigned to the main complex of Utopia Planetia, on the surface, as chief of staff to his uncle. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 2405. Return to Space Duty In September 2406, Alexei requested a return to space duty. Rather than dealing with the "so-called experts", Alexei's father, Anatoliy, called in a family friend - retired Vice Admiral Joshua Underwood, who was a guest lecturer at Starfleet Academy. Underwood agreed to meet with Alexei, under the condition that Alexei face his fear of space travel and take the shuttle with him to Earth. While nervous, Alexei managed with little difficulty. Meeting in his office in Sacramento, California, Underwood emphasized the need to speak with a counselor, for while he had control over his fear, it was still there - and sometimes could flare up at the worst possible opportunity. Alexei agreed to Underwood's stipulation, and the official recommendation was placed in his service record. He was assigned as Chief Engineer of the starship Odyssey shortly thereafter, where he remains today. Britanov, Alexei